Adaptive monitoring of a vehicle using a camera

Abstract

Monitoring of a full cabin of a vehicle (e.g., including driver and passengers) is provided using a single 2D camera and adaptively applying monitoring algorithms based on different signals, based on a person's state as determined from images of the cabin and/or based on a signal from a non-image sensor. Together with logic to decide which algorithms to run based on available compute resources, embodiments of the invention provide efficient monitoring of the vehicle.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising: obtaining a sequence of images of an inside of a vehicle;
 receiving a signal from a non-image vehicle related device;   determining a state of a person in the vehicle based on a first set of images of the sequence of images;   determining, based on the current state of the person, which monitoring algorithm from a predetermined list of algorithms, to apply on a second set of images from the sequence of images, the second set comprising images subsequent to the first set of images, to obtain monitoring of the vehicle; and   controlling a device based on the monitoring of the vehicle and based on the signal received from the non-image vehicle related device.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the non-image vehicle related device comprises a device operated via an infotainment or telematics system of the vehicle. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the non-image vehicle related device comprises a device selected from: a GPS device, an accelerometer, a speedometer, a turn angle sensor of the vehicle, a vehicle door open/close sensor and an ignition on/off sensor. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  comprising controlling an alert device to send an alert based on the monitoring of the vehicle and based on the signal received from the non-image vehicle related device. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  comprising controlling operation of a camera capturing the sequence of images, based on the monitoring of the vehicle and based on the signal received from the non-image vehicle related device. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  comprising controlling one or both of a frame capture rate of a camera capturing the sequence of images and sensitivity of the camera. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  comprising controlling sending images of a hazardous event to a remote device, based on the monitoring of the vehicle and based on the signal received from the non-image vehicle related device. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  comprising determining which monitoring algorithm to apply based on the signal received from the non-image vehicle related device and based on the current state of the person. 
     
     
         9 . A system for monitoring a vehicle, the system comprising:
 a camera to capture images of an inside of the vehicle, the camera configured to include in its field of view all locations of persons in the vehicle;   an algorithm's database that maintains a list of monitoring algorithms; and   a processor configured to
 determine a current state of a person from at least one image of the inside of the vehicle, 
 choose, from the list of monitoring algorithms, a monitoring algorithm to apply on additional images of the inside of the vehicle to obtain monitoring of the vehicle, based on the current state of the person, 
 receive a signal from a non-image vehicle related device, and 
 generate a signal to control a device based on the monitoring of the vehicle and based on the signal from a non-image vehicle related device. 
   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9  wherein the non-image vehicle related device comprises a device operated via an infotainment or telematics system of the vehicle. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 9  wherein the non-image vehicle related device comprises a device selected from: a GPS device, an accelerometer, a speedometer, a turn angle sensor of the vehicle, a vehicle door open/close sensor and an ignition on/off sensor. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 9  wherein the processor generates a signal to control an alert device to send an alert based on the monitoring of the vehicle and based on the signal received from the non-image vehicle related device. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 9  wherein the processor generates a signal to control operation of the camera based on the monitoring of the vehicle and based on the signal received from the non-image vehicle related device. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13  wherein operation of the camera comprises one or both of frame capture rate and sensitivity. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 9  wherein the processor generates a signal to control sending images of a hazardous event to a remote device, based on the monitoring of the vehicle and based on the signal received from the non-image vehicle related device. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 9  wherein the processor determines the current state of the person based on one or both of location and movement of body parts of the person. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 9  wherein the processor determines the current state of the person based on information regarding another person in the vehicle. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 9  wherein the processor chooses the monitoring algorithm to apply, based on the signal from a non-image vehicle related device and based on the current state of the person.